Texas!

One week ago today I spent the day in Austin, TX with Dianna. It was the last day of a spring break trip to visit her down in Waco. Last year she came to Boston to visit me, and it snowed. I thought this year we should do the smart thing and let me come to Texas, where it would be warmer. It actually rained half the time I was there, but it was a warm rain, and actually, that's probably all that saved me from coming back north with a wicked sunburn. The sun shone strong in Austin that day, though it was on its way down by the time Dianna took the photo below on our visit to the capitol building.


Another highlight of our time in Austin was the LBJ Presidential Library. I have a newfound respect for the man now. Previously he was just one of the other names other than Lincoln or Washington and had no real association for me. Now that I've been reminded of the hundreds of bills and acts he signed into law to make America a better society, I find I have become a fan. And the nerd in me just loved being in the museum. They had on display some of his actual speeches with hand written notes and the Bible he was sworn in on after JFK's assassination (by the way, we also saw the spot where Kennedy was shot on our way through Dallas, complete with conspiracy theorists trying to win over the tourists). And then we walked up from the lower level and I was absolutely astounded by what we saw:


All those shelves of red boxes are the LBJ archives. Those are the actual stacks of archival quality, acid free boxes with the presidential seal embossed on them. What a collection!

On the two days we stayed in Waco, it rained. That wasn't a big deal on Sunday, since we had intended to stay indoors anyway, going to church and watching the Oscars in the evening. But on Monday a got the grand tour of Waco in the rain. The best part was probably visiting the Dr. Pepper Museum. Did you know that Dr. Pepper was invented in Waco? Well, it was, and the old bottling plant is now a museum, with old equipment and advertisements on display. They even have their own archives. I wonder if I could get a job there? Dr. Pepper is my favorite carbonated beverage, after all...


Best friend fail. Sadly, this is the only picture from the whole trip I have of me and Dianna together. I don't have any idea how it could have slipped my mind, especially since I likely won't see her again until Christmas....


This sidewalk leads up to the bear enclosure on the Baylor campus. Yes, they have two live bears on campus. Sadly, I didn't get to see them. The first two times we went, it was cool and rainy and they were asleep in their cave. The last two times, we stopped by in the morning on our way out of town, and it was apparently too early and they hadn't been let out to play yet. It made me very sad.

In all, though, it was a great trip. Being back in a plains state made me feel so much at home. The weather was great, too. It felt like being home in South Dakota in the summer. I enjoy living in Boston and don't seem to have any trouble with the closeness of the city. But I'll always be a Midwestern girl at heart, with a special love for the wide open spaces and simple living. I mean, how can you not love a sky this big?


-Kim